


Punitive Damages

by tinyarmedtrex



Series: Not throwing away my shot [2]
Category: IT (2017)
Genre: 1 shot in AU, M/M, Sick Eddie, comforting Richie, stubborn boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 05:18:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15163514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyarmedtrex/pseuds/tinyarmedtrex
Summary: Based on a tumblr prompt asking for Chap 6 of Partner's in Crim from Richie's POV





	Punitive Damages

**Author's Note:**

  * For [speakslow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/speakslow/gifts).



> You should really read Partners in Crim before this. It wont make much sense

As the credits rolled on another law and order episode Richie glanced at Eddie, seeing that he was finally asleep. He had been mumbling half replies to Richie for the last twenty minutes, not quite letting himself drift off. But he had finally given into the medication and was now curled up under a blanket, snoring lightly. 

Richie smiled to himself as he watched Eddie. He was a fucking firecracker when he was awake but this, quiet and peaceful, was a totally different side. He tried to cement in his mind how Eddie’s lashes curled, the pinkness of his cheeks. All the details that he could never process when Eddie was awake and berating him. 

Eddie was adorable and Richie was falling for him, hard. 

He sighed. The realization was less surprising than it should have been. What had started out as a simple flirtation- something to get a rise out of this tightly wound classmate- had turned into more. Richie couldn’t deny it anymore. He had been trying to pretend that that it wasn’t anything else but lately all he could think about was how to get a rise out of Eddie, how to get him to pay attention to Richie. If he thought about it too long Richie felt pitiful. But then Eddie would laugh at something he said and everything felt right. 

Richie stood, needing to do something besides watch Eddie sleep like a weirdo. He was sure he’d get an earful if Eddie woke up and saw him. He looked around the apartment, walking back over to Thomas’ cage.

“Are you really as feisty as your owner?” Richie asked, sticking two fingers into the cage and petting his fluffy head. “I find that hard to believe.” The rabbit didn’t do anything but look up at Richie with big eyes that reminded him of Eddie. 

When Richie had offered to take notes for Eddie Ben had been skeptical, questioning Richie for at least five minutes as to why he wanted to do it. He clearly didn’t believe that Richie would actually take the notes, let alone deliver them to Eddie in a timely manner. But he had crossed his heart and hoped to die and Ben had eventually relented. 

And Richie had taken damn good notes. Notes that were at least as good as Eddie’s, maybe better- not that he’d say that to Eddie. Richie felt certain that taking good notes was a path to Eddie’s heart. This had been his chance to prove that he could be serious, that he could care. To anyone else, making someone fall for you because of note taking skills seemed ridiculous but Richie couldn’t help but let himself imagine Eddie reading the notes and realizing that there was more to him than just jokes and innuendos. 

After class he had stopped off and gotten some soup, hoping that Eddie didn’t have any strange allergies. With his luck, he’d be allergic to noodles and would be pissed that Richie had brought it. 

With notes and soup in hand he had knocked on the door. It had taken him a few minutes to work up the courage but he finally had. And Eddie had actually opened it, looking sick and adorable. And a little pissed that he wasn’t Ben. Richie thought he was going to slam the door in his face so he had slid into the apartment, not giving him the option.

The apartment had looked pretty much how Richie had suspected, very clean and orderly, with minimal decoration. The rabbit had been a welcome addition, something for him to ask about. Richie had loved hearing Eddie talk about Bev, his whole demeanor softened as he talked about her. Richie wanted to meet her, this person who was in Eddie’s confidence, who had clearly won him over completely. As a bonus, petting Thomas and hearing about Bev had distracted Richie from staring at the ill Eddie. 

He did look awful, his nose was red from being blown constantly and his eyes were puffy.  But still cute, in the ‘I want to take care of you and make you better’ sort of way. Still adorable, in his pissed off way. Richie was surprised that a cold dare overtook Eddie, he would half expect that Eddie would just yell at it until it fled his body. 

And Richie had given him the notes, pleased with the utter shock on Eddie’s face. He wanted to be insulted but he knew how he came across, as the class clown, as a joke. He’d explain it to Eddie, one day, why none of that was true. But not today. Today was about convincing Eddie to even give him a second thought that wasn’t annoyance. 

As Eddie critically examined his notes he had sat down, taking in Eddie’s outfit. A slightly too small charity run t-shirt and sweatpants. Definitely a ‘I feel miserable’ look that still made Richie want to kiss him. Even though he was sick, and telling Richie to leave. 

Now, Richie stood again, leaving the rabbit and looking around the apartment. He couldn’t do much to make Eddie feel better but he could clean up a little. He guessed that Eddie hated when things were messy. He saw that there were some dirty dishes and decided to start there, thinking how annoyed Stan would be that he was doing dishes at someone else’s apartment when he never did them at home. 

As he washed he thought about how Stan had finally gotten him to come to study group, by casually mentioning that Eddie was there and needed property help. Richie had seen the satisfied smirk on Stan’s face when he had shown up, even if he hadn’t understood the reason himself yet. 

The more time Richie spent with Eddie the harder he feel for him. Actually talking to him, hearing Eddie explain things and watching him snipe back sarcastic responses as quickly as  Richie could make them, that was all it took. 

He had complained to Stan and Bill about it, asking for their advice, and Stan had just sighed, telling Richie that it may not be that easy. Eddie didn’t hate him anymore but he was still wary of him and he thought that Richie didn’t take anything seriously. Bill had nodded along with his boyfriend, suggesting that maybe Richie tone it down on the blatant pick up lines. Richie had scoffed at both of them, but later admitted to himself that they were probably right. 

Now Richie had a new task. He had to convince Eddie that he was worth Eddie’s time, that he wasn’t just a huge fake flirt. Today was this first part of that, taking notes, bringing soup. He hoped Eddie would see that. 

Eddie stirred and Richie looked over at him, wondering if he was waking up. But he just flipped over and fell back asleep, his snores getting louder. 

Richie sighed. He should leave. The dishes were finished and he didn’t have any reason to stay. 

But he didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay with this cranky hobbit until he was kicked out. He covered his face with his hands, thinking about how deep he was in all of this. 

He decided to make Eddie the soup and pawed through his cabinets for some crackers. As he wrote a quick note he decided on one thing- he was going to ask Eddie out. On a proper date. And soon. The decision made him nervous but he also wanted Eddie to know that he was serious. If he just kept flirting with him Eddie would never realize that. Asking him on a real date was the only way. 

He wiped his palms on his jeans, telling himself that the worst thing Eddie could say was no. He arranged the snack and note next to Eddie, so he’d see it first thing when he woke up. 

“Just you wait Eds, we’ll be together before you know it.” Richie whispered to him. Then, humming an off key tune to himself, he left. 

**Author's Note:**

> Aww poor Richie. Dude is smitten


End file.
